Water repellents techniques



United States Patent WATER REPELLENTS TECHNIQUES" Claims. (Cl. 260- 70) invention relates to methods for the production of water repellents particularly of water-dispersible char acter, to the products thus obtained, and to their utilization particularly in the treatment of textiles. 3

Various types ofwaterrepellents have been-suggested for treatment of fabrics and textiles to produce waterrepellent materials. Due to instability of many of such preparations in the presence of moisture, anhydrous solvents were necessary. Such products exhibited frequently a short self life. Some of the prior art products resulted in tendering of cloth to which they were applied.

Among the objects of the present invention arein-- cluded the production and utilization of water repellents, that are water-dispersible.

Further objects include products that are water-stable and give water-stable finishes.

Still' further objects include the textiles of improved water repellency and substantial resistance to laundering, and; to methods of making such treated textiles and the compositions for. use thereon.

Still further objects and advantages will appear from the more detailed description set forth below given by Way of illustration and not by way of limitation since variouschanges therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Iniaccordance with the present invention, methods have been developed for the production of novel waterdispersible materials of value for imparting water-repellency to textiles, fabrics, and cloth by reaction of a higher fatty acid amide, a formaldehyde yielding substance, a carbamide moiety, and a taurinating agent. As pointed out below various methods of reacting these materials may be utilized. Such products are particularly useful as water-repellents for treating textiles and fabrics b'tit may also be useful as coating compositions to cover -textiles,and fabrics. In such utilizations, these waterrepellents may be suspended in water or other aqueous media and usedto impregnate the textile or fabric as by immersion or padding techniques. Upon heating at elevated temperatures, a water-repellent durable finish is obtained; 3

The fatty acid amide used may be any of the higher or long chain fatty acid derivatives. They desirably should contain at least nine carbon atoms and preferably eighteenor more including 20, 22, 24 carbon atoms and higher. Exemplary fatty acid amides are stearamide, palmitamide, lauramide, methylene distearamide, ethylene distearamide, etc.

Any substance yielding formaldehyde maybe used as an initial reactant such as aqueous formaldehyde, paraformaldehyde, methylal, hexamethylenetetramine, etc.

The carbamid moiety is defined as a compound or mixtureof compounds containing the grouping ice in which X may be an ONS group e. g. oxygen, NH, or sulfur as in derivatives of urea, thiourea, and guanidine including such compounds and mixtures containing them of urea, thiourea, guanidine, 'dicyanidiamine, melamine, alkylolmelamines, polyalkoxy methyl melamines. In the latter types of compounds the alkyl groups are desirably lower alkyls as from 1 to 5 carbon atoms. These more complex products can be made in any desired way as by including the nitrogenous compound in an initial reaction stage with the fatty acid amide and formaldehyde yielding substance, or by reacting the nitrogenous compound with formaldehyde to give a polymethylol derivative such as 'hexamethylol melamine which is then heated with the fatty acid amide with or without addi- -tional formaldehyde yielding substance, etc., or by retions by heating with secondary amine, etc.

The taurinating agent is a taurine compound or derivative which will react with and confer sufiicient hydrophilic properties to the basic water repellent composition e. g. the hydrophobic methylolated melamine-stearamido compound or other higher fatty acid amide-formaldehyde-carbamid moiety reaction product to enable preparation of well dispersed aqueous padding baths without affecting water repellency after cure and without having a deleterious effect on the cloth. The taurinating agent includes taurine and its derivatives, e. g. amino alkyl sulfonic acids and their N- or other substitution products particularly where the N- or other substituent is desirably a lower alkyl such as methyl, ethyl, etc. The amino alkyl sulfonic acid may be aminoethyl sulfonic acid (taurine), amino propyl sulfonic acid, and any corresponding higher sulfonic acids which in the form of their Water soluble salts such as thealkali metal salts e. g. sodium, potassium, ammonium, etc., will give A mono-N-alkylated taurine specifically .N-methyl taurine is preferred and; will be used to illustrate 'the invention, 'but other taurines may be substitutedtherefore inthe examples as exemplithe desired water dispersibility.

fied below, for example, taurine'higher homologues of taurine such as amino-propyl sulfonic acid etc; While alkali metal salts are specifically illustrated other inor l ganic or organic bases may be used such as alkylolamines including mono, di, and trialkylolamines illustrated by triethanolamines and other, particularly lower alkyl, alkylolaminesge. g. specifically up to butylbeing desirable. y

The reactions may be carried out. by successive steps of reaction for example where the formaldehyde reacting substance and melamine or other carbamid moiety are first reacted to form a hexamethylolmelarnme or other methylolated derivative, the latter then reacted with stearamide or other higher fatty acid amide in m olar ratios desirably of 2 of fatty acid amide to 1 of the,

melamineetc. derivative, followed by reaction of,;the methylolated melamine (or other carbamido) stearamido (or other higher fatty acid amido) monomer or reaction product with the taurinating agent. Onthe reactants other than the taurinating agent may be reacted simul taneously followed by taurination. Or all reactants including the'taurinating agent may be reacted simultaneously. 1 v

Structurally it is believed the process may he repre seated as follows without any intended limitation y; theory of reaction, the carbamid moiety being melamine,

Patented Nov. 18, 1958 the ta tty acid amide being ste'aramid, and the taurinating a g iit bifi g N- ififhyl i 1.113611'fcuring in the presence of an acidcatalyst it mavweu be that -thetaurineportion issplit out of thecdiripound. On the otherhand, if it is not split out, it ':is apparent" that --as 4 the I mcthylolated melamide-stearamido' monomer cures to form: a three dimensional network; the dispersing 1 effect -of the taurine --is overcome or at any rate isi-no longer apparent.

ikTiheabove mechanism as illustrative, but it--may.- serve to rpdint-mp the =-fact that the -taurine derivative is .=not

kyl v andalk'ylolamines desirably of alkyls biityl'atrl lalkylolamines' such as diethanolamine,

riiig's f ificludi-n 'di'pholinepipiperidine, and the il-ike, rpa'r tieularly here "c'ycIics:-like' piperidineand lower-carbon cdiitztiningtdmbbunds.

Besid'es '-theactive-ingredients of the water repellents ofithea-present inVention, -=usemay be made (ab-mixtures of rthe' active ingredients with waxes or metallicesoaps such aseandelilla wax, rnontan wax, carnauba wax, mineral wax and the like and aluminum stearate, zin'cstearate, barium stearate, aluminum palmitate, strontium stearate cer ium stearate, lead stearate, strontium palrnitate and thelike. -Elfeeti e water repellent compos tions hai'e een prepafedf without the preseficebf" caildelilla rm. i

wax.

handled they may be made into a paste with "wa'tendl -with and may be blended with synthetic resins such u In order to allow these products to be more easily cohols such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, propanol, P3 and the like, dioxane, ethyl acetate, xylene and the like; Such plates are readily emulsifiable and their water disv persions impart excellent water-repellent characteristics, I to textile fibers. 7 Any of these stated additives z'including secondary amines, waxes, etc. may be used in any of the methods j rf crredtoabo've. Thepreferredmolar ratiosof theiprincipal in clude reaction of 2 moles'o'f fatty acid an; mole 'ofcarbamid rnoiety, and'of ilz'l fnole' skb 1 derivative with carbamide moiety-reaction product. But P these ratios may vary substantiallyias "for example for i p Y taurinating agent to carbamid rnoiet-ycomponent of 3:1 to 1:3 molar. The amounts of secondary amines and waxes may vary widely. 'The formaldehyde component may be in amount to partially or fully methylolate Abe c'arbamid moiety 'or 'in :excess jtheredf. Thearnoufit inf; secondary amine when used m y be 'a *mol'ar'ratio 1:1 with the carbamid moiety butm'ayyar'yin .ei direction for example 3:"1'to 1:8. The 'wa'x'niay-be about --50% by weight o'n'the'fatty acid amide j'butifil'gyr. varysubstantially for example from 10% (ir,less to: 3'Q0%"or-more. a 'f. The"reactioniproducts are madeby heating thejsta m reactants at moderate temperatures for .exampl'e'ifdm 60-90" C., although higher temperatures .as .for example refluxing temperatures 'may"be"us'e'd. fThereactionsfrn'ay be""car'riedoutunder anhydrous conditions asiin'f preparation of the'rnethyloIated carb'amidO moijty a acid amide complex for reaction fseparately'wit'h, ta'urin'a'ting a ent, but anhydrous lcon'ditions are no tial although somewhat .longerj'reaction times ,m necessary. fIn "aqueous media, dispersions m'ay'bejp duped directly during "reaction. g

' 'he'water dispersible productsmay 'beused to pregnate textiles or fabrics in any desired wa persed in water or other aqueous mediath'ey'fm applied by immersion or padding. Any Tcdiic'eri H may be'usedforthis purpose, 'fro'm 1l0% by w of "the water repellent material being satisfact though othereoncentrations'niay be used. A'gif water at 70-80 C..may be used to producel thed deb sion. jTheamount deposited fonithe textile fa with the ultimate result desired. "Fro t0%by jwei-ghfon'thefbricortexrfleis' usually an; After jimpregnatio "excess may be removed as"? squeezing, and-the'fabric or textilefd'ried. A'r'iy d if dryi operationnray be iused. For example. m'i fifitS 'at 60 C. ma lje lis'd,"6! nigher'tempefatf with oriwithout circulati air currents may be for instance 1-"2 rninut'es at iin a "cuf Q ofair. After drying usually "at"a temperature"offfro 60- 'C. forfipitolOriririiites, a eniin treamgentfi; desirable by heating to set'the material generallyiit from 120-to 200 c for fromllto 10 minutes 5 en heating is usually at a temperature above that of ing, for instance -145 CJfor'about 15 minutes, 0 a; l-65 C.for from-2 to 5 minutes, or ,cs'rorfaa minute. The conditionsof'curin dependon' factors-Ts'uch asltemperature, time of heating, character fdfreaiiofi" products, etc. "Curing'condi'tions are not critical. ferre'd conditions would'rangelbetweenl to'10 rnin'ut'e 1 ZOO-4007?. "Temperatures as high as "45'0"F.,can." be used'with a corresponding smaller time interva1.'e.; ca. 30 seconds.

Water-re'pellency is obtained whichis ffa'shto bb dry cleaning and Washingwith soap. "Thewater repellent. materials are stable to moisture and exhibit substantial shell-life. t U The productsaof the presentinvention. are. compatildei 5 urea-formaldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde, and their like, as well as with natural or synthetic waxes to impart advantageous properties to treated fabrics in addition to water-repellency. I

The following examples illustrate the invention, parts being by Weight unless otherwise indicated.

Example I A water-repellent material was prepared by charging a liter, 3-neck flask, equipped with a stirrer, reflux condenser, thermometer and dropping funnel with the following materials:

The mixture was heated on a water bath at 8090 C. for a period of 3 hours. 741.0 grams of a 32.6% aqueous solution of the sodium salt of N-methyl taurine were then added slowly over a period of /2 hour and the resulting solution was heated for an additional hour at 8090 C. The resulting product was water dispersible and contained 59% active material.

150 grams of the above product were mixed with 130.5 grams of water at 80 C. to form a smooth paste containing 31.5 active material. The paste was then homogenized and padding baths of varying strengths were prepared by diluting the 31.5% active paste with water containing 5% each (based on the weight of paste) of urea and ammonium chloride. Swatches of 9 ounce cotton sateen were padded at 25 C. with the various solutions and after drying for minutes at 60 C. the treated swatches were curedv at 150-155 C. for 5 minutes. The results obtained were as follows.

In order to determine the effect of varying the curing conditions, 250 grams of the 31.5% paste prepared in Example I were dissolved in'812.5 g. of water at 25 C. and then further diluted with a solution containing 18.75 g. each of urea and ammonium chloride in 150 g. of water. The percent active material in the final bath was 6.3%.

6 swatches of 8 ounce cotton Oxford cloth were padded at 25 C. by reversing the cloth in the bath. The treated swatches were dried at 200 F. for 3 minutes and then cured at either 330 F. or 365' F. for varying periods of time. Spray ratings were taken on both sides of the swatches. The results obtained were as follows:

Pick-up, wet Spray rating basis, percent Cure, min.

Swatch N eutralized Laundering Total Active 330 365 F. F. v Side A Side B Side A Side B 6. Example III A water-repellent material was prepared in the same manner described in Example I, except that no morpholin'e was used in the composition. A solution -.containing 61.4% active material was obtained.

and the system homogenizedto 33.2% active ingredients.

120 grams of this paste werediluted with 290 g. of water and then with 72 g. of water containing 9 g. each of ammonium chloride and urea to yield an 8%passing I bath (Bath A). A second padding bath was prepared by diluting 120 g. of the paste with 305 g. of water and then with 60 g. of water containing 7.5 g. each of ammonium chloride and urea (Bath B). A swatch of 9 ounce cotton Oxford was padded with each of the" above solutions, dried at 200 F. for 3 minutes and then The results obtained were as follows (spray ratings were taken on both sides cured at 330 F. for 5 minutes.

of the swatches) Spray ratings Bath basis,

percent, active Neutralize'd Laundered Side Side B Side Side B Side A Example IV A water-repellent base material was prepared by,

reacting 95.0 parts paraformaldehyde', 63.0 partjslr'nelamine, 87.1 parts morpholine, 2833 parts Stearamide" 141.5 parts candelilla wax and 592 parts of anhydrous ethanol in a reaction vessel equipped with a thermometer, stirrer, and a condenser set for distillation. The system was heated to the boiling point and the water formed during the reaction was continuously removed via the alcohol distillation. In the early stages of the distillation additional ethyl alcohol was added to the reaction mixture to maintain the volume. After continuous distillation for 1 hour, 400 parts of dioxan was added and distillation continued for an additional 1% hoursu The continuous distillation was then stopped and the 1 reaction product (1043 parts and containing 52.8% active material) was then, cooled.

100 parts of the above base. was transferred to a reaction vessel equipped with a thermometer, stirrer and reflux condenser and heated on a :water bath, while stirring, to a temperature of 75 f C. 20.7parts of a 35 %I aqueous solution of the sodium salt of N-methyl tuarine was then added and the resulting solution heated for /2 hour at 8085 C. The final solution was easily dispersible in water and had a solids content of 48.9%.

A 5% padding bath was prepared by dispersing 10 parts of the final solution in 98 parts of warm water containing 0.5 parts of ammonium chloride. A square of 9 ounce cotton sateen was padded with the solution and after drying at 50 C. was cured. at 158 C; for 4 /2 minutes. neutralization and after laundering.

Example V A Water-repellent material was prepared by reacting Formaldehyde, 37% 48.7 parts. Isopropanol 50.9 parts.

1079.5. g.'..0f the material obtained was treated with 918.5 g. ofnwater" yield a paste containing Dry cleaned Side B The spray ratings obtained were 100 after 32.6% aqueous solution).

The temperature of the mixture was maintained at 85:. "C. for Z hx-hours- The final material was dispersiblehin hot water and contained 50% active material. A..25%hiactive paste was prepared by homogenizing a lhtmixtnrel of the above material and water. A 6% paddingiebath was prepared by dissolving 24 parts of the: 125% active paste in 74 parts of water containing 1 part of urea and 1 part of ammonium chloride. A swatch of 9 ounce cotton sateen was padded, dried at 50.;-.C..and cured at 158 C. for 4 minutes. The spray Example VI 100. parts of a water-repellent base material containing melamine, paraformaldehyde, morpholine, stearamide, candelilla wax and-dioxan, prepared in a similar fashion. to that. described in. Example: IV but containin'g. }l9..l;% active :material, was placed in a reaction vessel equipped with a thermometer, stirrer, and reflux condenser. The base material was heated to 70 C. on a water bath and a solution containing: 5.3 parts of taurinea-(Z-amino ethane sulfonic acid), 1.73 parts of 97.5% sodium hydroxide, and;.11 parts of-water was heated for 2- hours at 7'8-80 C. At thenconclusion of the reaction. the material was water-dispersible and contained 47.5% active material. A 6% padding solution was prepared by treating 12.6 parts of the reaction mixturewith 50 'parts "of hot water -'.and then. with 25.4 parts of water containing 1 part ammonium chloride and 1 part urea. A good dispersion was obtained. A swatch .of. .9 ounce cottonsateen fabric was padded, dried .at" Asprayrating, after neutralization, of 90 was obtained; which dropped to 80+ after laundering for 2 hours.

Example VII iEx-ample' 'lv'l was repeated, except that 5:9 parts of 3-amino propane sulfonic .acid was used instead of 2-aminb.-:.ethane sulfonic acid. The final solution was C. and theni cured at 158 C. for 4 minutes Having thus'set forth our invention, we claim:

, bam'ido 'compound selected from the group consisting of,

ratings. obtained were 80+ after neutralization and 80+ afterhlauudering. t

heatedtfor 4r hours at 78-80 C. A pale tan emulsion wasfohtained containing 47.5% active material.

, A; portion of the h'otlemulsion was treated with an equal weight ofhot water and .the' resulting paste, on

cooling, '.was homogenized to. yielda homogeneous 23.62% active; paste. v

25.4 parts of the paste was. dissolved in 62 parts ofi warmhwa'ter and. 12.5 parts of: a. catalyst solution consistingaiiof.:14251partsi each of ammonium chloride andliureandissolved' in: 10: parts of water, to obtain a 6%?activepaddingsolution. 'When a swatch of 9 ounce COXKQH'LESfltCEIIifB-blifl was-padded, dried. at C- and cured at :1601G.1for. 3 minutes za spray rating of. 100

repellent, products may he produced without any. care bamid moiety. The following,- example is sufiiciently exemplary.

Example VIII 226 parts ofstearamide, 216.8 of -99% isopropanol, and 24 parts of paraformaldehyde were heated together at 80 C. for 5 hours. To the reaction product, the

sodium salt of N-methyl taurine .was added in the rno'lar 1:1 ratio using a 36.2% aqueous solution and heating continned.- At paste =dispersible in water was: obtained and maya be used ias-a-wate'r repellent. The various fatty acid amides and taurinating agents may be similarly used.

ureau, thiourea, guanidine, dicyandiamine, and mela mine, a fatty acid amideof at least nine carbon atoms f having replaceable hydrogen on the nitrogen, and a water soluble amino lower alkyl sulfonic acid, in the presence of formaldehyde, to form a water dispersible I water repellent resulting from the reaction of the stated components in the molar ratios of 1-3 moles of said carbamido compound, 2'moles of fatty acid amide permoleof carbamido compound, 1 to 3 moles of aminoalkyl sulfonic acid per mole of carbamido compound and formaldehyde to methylolate the carbamido mm pound.

2. The method of making water dispersible water repellents which consists essentially in heating melamine, 2 moles of fatty acid amide per mole of melamine, 1 to 3 moles ofaminoalkyl sulfonic acid per mole; of melamine, and to methylolate the melamine.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the amino alkyl sulfonic acid is N-lower alkyl mono-alkylated.

4. The method of claim 2 in which the amino alkyl 1] sulfonic acid is added in the form of the sodium salt of N- methyl taurine. i

5. The method of claim 2 in which a wax is present during the heating.

6. Themethod of claim 2 in which a secondary amine is present during the heating.

7. The method of'claim 2 in which the reactants other than melamine are heated to form a hydrophobic reaction product which is heated with the aminosulfonic i I acid to convert the hydrophobic reaction product into a hydrophyllic reaction product.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the hydrophobic reaction product is produced in an anhydrous medium. 9. The method of claim 7 in which the hydrophobic reaction product is produced in an aqueous solution medium and reaction with 'the aminosulfonic' acid produces a dispersion;

10. A water-dispersible carbamido compound-for- A maldehyde-fatt-y acidamide-amino lower alkyl sul-. 1 1 'fonic acid reaction product the carbamido compound j being selected from the group consisting of urea, thio-Q'ji. urea, guanidine, dicyandiamide, and melamine, the fatty I acid :aimide having at least nine carbon atoms and havf ing replaceable hydrogen on the nitrogen, and the"sul-: 'fonic acid being water soluble, in the molar ratios of 1 to 3 carbamido compound, 2 of acid amide per mole of carbamido compound, 1 to 3 of sulfonic acid per mole of carbamido compound, and formaldehyde to methylolate the carbamido compound.

and formaldehyde to methylolate the melamine.

12. The reaction product of claim 11 including a wax in an amount of from 10% to 300% by weight on the.

fatty acid amide.

13. The reaction product of claim 12 including a: I secondary amine in the molar ratio of 1:3per mole of melamine;

14. The reaction product of claim 11 including a g 9 10 secondary amine in the molar ratio of 1:3 per mole of 2,377,868 DAlelio June 2, 1945 melamine. 2,537,667 Harris Jan. 9, 1951 15. The reaction product of claim 11 in which the 2,547,728 Abrams Apr. 3, 1951 amino alkyl sulfonic acid is N-methyl taurine and the fatty acid amide is stearamide. 5 FOREIGNPATENTS References Cited in the file of this patent 628818 Great Bntam Sept 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,357,273 Thurston Aug. 29, 1944 10 

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING WATER DISPERSIBLE WATER REPELLENTS WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY IN HEATING A CARBAMIDO COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF UREAU, THIOUREA, GUANIDINE, DICYANDIAMINE, AND MELAMINE, A FATTY ACID AMIDE OF AT LEAST NINE CARBON ATOMS HAVING REPLACEABLE HYDROGEN ON THE NITROGEN, AND A WATER SOLUBLE AMINO LOWER ALKYL SULFONIC ACID, IN THE WATER SOLUBLE AMINO LOWER ALKYL SULFONIC ACID, IN THE PRESENCE OF FORMALDEHYDE, TO FORM A WATER DISPERSIBLE COMPONENTS IN THE MOLAR RATIOS OF 1-3 MOLES OF SAID CARBAMIDO COMPOUND, 2 MOLES OF FATTY ACID AMIDE PER MOLE OF CARBAMIDO COMPOUND, 1 TO 3 MOLES OF AMINOALKYL SULFONIC ACID PER MOLE OF CARBAMIDO COMPOUND AND FORMALDEHYDE TO METHYLOLATE THE CARBAMIDO COMPOUND. 